Scarlet
by Boba-and-pompoms
Summary: He stands to his feet, and gives one glance up at the man. Brown eyes meet the artificial green, and before Garmadon can study him further, Lloyd turns and follows his mother. He'll bring back his father someday. He doesn't know how, but He will. And he'll get revenge on the people who turned him "good" in the first place. That's a promise. (Also on A03)


**This is just a fun little Au I've been thinking about and decided to write a lil snippet for!**

**Basically, in this au, harumi and Lloyd switch places. But the circumstances for it are certainly different, instead of just throwing them in the same scenarios.**

**Lloyd released the serpentine which in turn released the great devourer- except he was never caught by the ninja, and therefore, is not the green ninja and never got to talk to his dad. He escaped the ninja at Darkley's and ran to the city, where the snake was eventually destroyed and Lloyd was found by Hutchins and taken to the Emperor and Empress.**

**Harumi's parents were killed in a snake attack of one of the many villages in ninjago, before the great devourer was released. The ninja took her in, where it was discovered that she had the pure elemental powers of the green ninja- but not the FSM's golden powers, as she is not a descendant of him. **

**Lloyd inherited Garmadon's dark energy power, although he wasn't allowed to use it and the emperor and empress never announced they had taken in the son of Garmadon, therefore Lloyd never saw Misako and Garmadon has no idea where his son is. **

**There's a lot of stuff I haven't figured out yet but I really wanted to write this, so here it is! Just some little Lloyd holding his dad above anything else in the world, only wanting to make him proud and to be like him :)**

* * *

From the earliest he can remember, his first instinct has been to run.

Run after he was expelled from Darkley's; run through the night, struggling to find somewhere, someone he could call home.

Run, run from the ninja and Pythor, disappearing into the wilderness in an attempt to get to the city.

Run from the great devourer, tears streaming down his face as the snake is destroyed by the only man he wants to be.

He gasps for air, running through the city. Destroyed buildings are falling to pieces around him, as mothers and fathers are reunited with their children as cries break through the air. It's something he's never heard before- and would rather not hear again.

Clearing an acid puddle, he chokes back a wail. He can't find his dad. He can't find him anywhere. He KNOWS he was here, he saw him destroy the snake that Lloyd had a huge help in releasing. He saw his father take the golden weapons, light radiating off his armor as Lloyd stared in adoration and the deep, painful urge to be there beside him.

He can't find him, and he's lost, and all alone. He's about to cry, and Garmadons don't cry, he can't cry, he has to be strong because evil people don't break down in tears.

Despite his silent pleas for the tears to go away, they mist his sight, causing his turning of a corner and running straight in to someone.

"Easy there, tyke. What are you running from? The snake is gone." A man turns around, the bleak sun catching the light of his helmet. Lloyd can only gasp at the royal insignia, fear and adrenaline fighting for control as he stumbles backwards, hands searching for something, anything to grab onto. The tears are hot, dripping down his face before he can do anything.

The man exchanges a look with another, leaning on one knee as Lloyd panics. "Where are your parents, little one?"

He doesn't answer. He can't, because that's the royal guard, and he's EVIL, what are they going to do to him? He just wants his dad, he can't have his dad, because he's gone and the sirens from ambulances are hurting his ears as everything spins.

"I-I don't know." He stammers out, voice cracking as the overwhelming feeling of being alone takes over. "My dad, he- he's Lord Garmadon, but I don't think he cares about me, he never tried to find me, and my mama abandoned me." He chokes on a cough a moment later, tears pricking his eyes as he gasps for air. "I saw him kill the snake. I helped release it. I just want him to come get me."

The guards exchange a look, and the one on his knee holds his hand out. "If you come with us, we'll get you cleaned up. There are some people I think would like to meet you. And we'll look for your dad!"

Lloyd watches as one guard steps back, muttering into a device. The words are far too soft for him to hear, but that shouldn't be his focus. Can he trust this man? Should he trust him? He's already trusted other beings, and look how that ended up. He's caused enough trouble to be remembered in history for decades to come. Would his dad be proud?

"Come on, kid, we're not going to hurt you. I'm Hutchins, and that man over there is Jakobs. We want to help you. We'll look for your dad, and maybe your mummy, too. Wouldn't it be nice to also have somewhere to stay? You don't want to stay on the streets, do you?" Hutchins's finger twitches, as Lloyd stares at him in apprehension. Slowly, he steps forward, bruised feet scraping the pavement as his tiny hand slides into Hutchins's grip. He doesn't want to be alone. Anywhere is better than another night of living in an alleyway.

"Jakobs, report on the royal family." Hutchins orders, standing. He's tall, taller than any man Lloyd has ever seen. The stupid ninja were nothing in comparison to him.

"They are perfectly safe, in the stronghold of the temple. They have expressed great interest in the child." The other guard walks forward, eyeing Lloyd slowly. "You are most fortunate, boy. You have a great destiny ahead of you."

Lloyd frowns, staring up and between the two men. He doesn't want a "Great Destiny." He just wants revenge on those who have mistreated him. He wants them to feel the burning embarrassment, the desire to simply cease to exist so you aren't an issue any longer. He has so many things he wants to follow through with; he has to. He has to get his dad to notice him. Garmadon is the only one who Lloyd wants to make proud, no matter the cost. Maybe then, he'll come for him. And Lloyd can watch the smile disappear from his uncle's face; his uncle and the stupid ninja. The ninja who left him on a sign, as he yelled til his voice went out and the tears started to fall. They'd pay for that, he decides, before starting to follow the guards with a slight smirk.

"Glad to see you smiling. A positive attitude is important- we have a long way to go."

It's not a positive attitude. It's the anticipation of seeing his dad again; not that anyone knows it. He's going to stay quiet about this, as long as he has to.

* * *

He had to stay quieter way longer than he ever imagined. And he hated it, with every fiber in his being, as he hated his past self for making such a foolish decision.

The guards never helped him look for his parents; instead, passing him off to the emperor and empress. "These are your new parents now, child. They will treat you with the love you deserve."

The love, if it can be called that, was nothing like he wanted. "You are a prince now, Lloyd. A Garmadon is something you must leave behind. Gone is the old you. You are The Jade Prince, future ruler of Ninjago. You must act like it."

He wasn't ready for the crushing blow of responsibility at 8. He wasn't ready for it ever, if at all.

He blames himself for his carelessness and his willingness to trust on meeting. The emperor was right, that part of him is forever gone. He may be only 10, but he is more than willing to push the 2 years of his "growth" aside. He does not like this- he never has, and he never will. But above everything, it is THIS ceremony that he wishes he could destroy in a heartbeat. Go back in time, to do anything to change this. After the defeat of the overlord, and then the second defeat of him, it was time for his father to be pardoned for his crimes against ninjago in a ceremony. Pathetic.

"And above all, we welcome you as a new man, and a valuable asset to Ninjago itself. Your crimes are pardoned. May you be at peace with yourself, and with your family. Ninjago holds no ill will, and neither will we." The emperor finishes his speech, hands grasping Garmadon's shoulders. A pardoning ceremony in front of all ninjago, because Garmadon is good. He's "good," now. Gone is the warlord, an older man who has never looked more weak is in his place.

Lloyd watches from the shadow of his mother- not biological, but a better one than his ever was. He's struggling to hold back the words on the top of his tongue; he cannot let his mask fall. Pristine and Porcelain, he stands by his mother's side and glares in disgust at the man he knew was his father.

This was a weak, shell of the man he knew. He's bowing to the emperor, a mere figurehead with the power to do nothing without the support of the people. Garmadon led armies, taking out his foes and saving the city on his own terms. He was a mastermind, cunning and the man Lloyd desperately tried to respect, even after he was adopted into the royal family. And now? This is a destroyed, pathetic form of him. This isn't his father. This is just an old man, playing that the crimes he committed were forgivable and forgotten. They weren't, and they never would, as long as Lloyd was around to idolize them.

"And from my family to you- we hope you are happy."

The empress looks down at Lloyd, pride sparkling in her eyes as she nods slightly in the direction of the emperor. He must've finally gotten the face powder right- she would've scolded him otherwise. The scarlet paint above his eyes and cheeks is something he hasn't quite mastered- his mother still fusses and does it herself.

And wouldn't you guess, the emperor has bowed to Garmadon. That only means one thing; as the Jade Prince, he must walk to this man, and fall to his knees in what the people would claim as gratitude. It's far from that- Lloyd isn't grateful for anything. The man in front of him doesn't deserve a bow- he doesn't even recognize his own child.

The real Garmadon would. He's sure of it.

He steps into the light, face stoic as the crowd erupts into cheers. Seeing the prince is an honored opportunity; he's not one that the royals like to flaunt. Mostly because of his eyes- eyes, scarlet as the nightshade that lines the path of Jumanakai Village. It's time, in these situations, for him to endure the contacts that do nothing besides change the scarlet. Scarlet is something to be ashamed of, when it's something that isn't artificial.

His heart hammers louder as he walks closer to Garmadon, the words running through his head never leaving him in silence. One head bow. One bow to a version of a man that doesn't deserve it and never will.

The crowd goes quiet as the empress bows, the gold from her headdress catching the light. They don't know what to expect- they've never had such a person pardoned before the royal family before.

Teeth gritted and eyes downcast, Lloyd lowers himself onto his knees, training his gaze to the platform as he lowers his head. The crowd erupts into cheers, as the mandantory 5 seconds tick by slowly. He stands to his feet, and gives one glance up at the man. Brown eyes meet the artificial green, and before Garmadon can study him further, Lloyd turns and follows his mother.

He'll bring back his father someday. He doesn't know how, but He will. And he'll get revenge on the people who turned him "good" in the first place.

That's a promise.


End file.
